9 | Erling Haaland - 2023/24

[B\connellblue]

Every centre forward on earth occupies the defender. You would think this was something new in football.

 

[Saddleworth2]

But I think our players are wondering what the point of providing the ball to him is.

He's getting bullied by even average centre-backs, he's technically very limited even when he's in form so can't hold the ball up, his right foot is just for standing on and he loses the initiative in good positions when he tries to shift it onto his left foot, he's not that great in the air, he'll never score a goal like the one Yaya scored against Villa in 2013/14. He wouldn't even have scored any of the goals we scored last night.

He's either been worked out or got too comfortable. So what service would make a difference?

I'm not sure he is fully fit mate. I'm not arguing with your assessment of him for many games this season. Look at him last season though and his movement was more varied and his finishing more accurate. His numbers at all his clubs tell us something and that is that he is not a poor player.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

But I think our players are wondering what the point of providing the ball to him is.

He's getting bullied by even average centre-backs, he's technically very limited even when he's in form so can't hold the ball up, his right foot is just for standing on and he loses the initiative in good positions when he tries to shift it onto his left foot, he's not that great in the air, he'll never score a goal like the one Yaya scored against Villa in 2013/14. He wouldn't even have scored any of the goals we scored last night.

He's either been worked out or got too comfortable. So what service would make a difference?

Jesus wept.

You're right, he's shit. We should sell him in the summer. But who would even want him?

Oh, what's that? Every bastard club in the world? OK.

 

[nicko]

He looks low on confidence. He’s not been same since his injury and still looks half fit to me.
I agree that we should start him in bench occasionally and take him off when that low narrow block is employed. Without the dynamism he’s a 1/4 of the player

 

[jma]

The same “fans” piling into this lad will be the exact same fans slagging the club off if he ever gets sold.
Especially when he is banging in the goals for a European, or god forbid, English, rival.
I don’t remember Bob Taylor or Gareth Taylor getting anywhere near this amount of stick. Ever. And they WERE shite. So shite it was almost cool to support them.

Worst fans in football. We don’t deserve this team.

Is this a wind up?

I think you are lost in an internet rabbit hole if you think that Haaland gets more stick than Bob Taylor.
Haaland has never got any significant stick from the crowd in any City game, bar the odd low key grumble when he doesn’t hold it up.

Bob Taylor was slated (as was Gareth Taylor) as he was shit and got “big fat bob” sung at him by his own fans most games.

Step away from the internet

 

[sh249]

But I think our players are wondering what the point of providing the ball to him is.

He's getting bullied by even average centre-backs, he's technically very limited even when he's in form so can't hold the ball up, his right foot is just for standing on and he loses the initiative in good positions when he tries to shift it onto his left foot, he's not that great in the air, he'll never score a goal like the one Yaya scored against Villa in 2013/14. He wouldn't even have scored any of the goals we scored last night.

He's either been worked out or got too comfortable. So what service would make a difference?

As I say, he’s very obviously going through a poor spell. But I don’t think he’s been worked out or got too comfortable. I’m not even sure he’s fully fit, though no way of knowing. I don’t believe that the other players will be doubting him at all.
In terms of service, I’m sure he’d benefit from us moving the ball through the lines more quickly, from having creative players playing closer to him, and - above all - having a fit De Bruyne available as a supplier of direct and incisive (and brilliant) passes and crosses.
Last night always felt like it would be a bit of a slog for him. Bernardo and Grealish are both great at helping us control games, and I’d always have them in the team, but neither is especially good at creating the kind of chance someone like Haaland thrives on. We don’t have attacking full backs who can compensate for that by creating chances from wide areas. Kovacic offers virtually nothing in a creative sense. Foden is obviously brilliant as a 10, but more so as a goal scoring threat than a De Bruyne-style creator.
No doubt we need him to step back up in the next few weeks. But deserves more slack in my view.

 

[Sir peace frog]

hes always on the move, but we dont find him, give him half a chance and he will score, bit of a conundrum, the way we play wins us matches, but we dont play to his strengths because teams dont let us, our weakness is the counter attack, so we play short balls into feet of the free man, erling will never be free because he usually has 2 men on him,so allowing the team more space, it works for us, but the people slagging erling off need to watch his constant runs and battles with usually 2 men, what pisses me off the most is not the opinions on him but the immediate slagging off he gets by a few, we had just seen a great game 3-3 v real madrid, end to end, and a result 99.9% of us would of taken before kickoff , some people wait for his "shit games" and jump straight in, or hear the constant narrative about how many touches, he was bought to score goals, 80 odd in 90ish games for us says hes doing his job, the team are well placed in the 3 major comps and this is off the back of a treble,world club champions,and european super cup(or whatever its called)

if big erl wasnt doing a job for the team,does anyone really think pep would play him.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

As I say, he’s very obviously going through a poor spell. But I don’t think he’s been worked out or got too comfortable. I’m not even sure he’s fully fit, though no way of knowing. I don’t believe that the other players will be doubting him at all.
In terms of service, I’m sure he’d benefit from us moving the ball through the lines more quickly, from having creative players playing closer to him, and - above all - having a fit De Bruyne available as a supplier of direct and incisive (and brilliant) passes and crosses.
Last night always felt like it would be a bit of a slog for him. Bernardo and Grealish are both great at helping us control games, and I’d always have them in the team, but neither is especially good at creating the kind of chance someone like Haaland thrives on. We don’t have attacking full backs who can compensate for that by creating chances from wide areas. Kovacic offers virtually nothing in a creative sense. Foden is obviously brilliant as a 10, but more so as a goal scoring threat than a De Bruyne-style creator.
No doubt we need him to step back up in the next few weeks. But deserves more slack in my view.

We certainly know what he's capable of, at his best. But no one could possibly argue he's at his best currently.

We also know Pep's style usually doesn't need an out-and-out striker. We won two PL titles without one. Also, KDB seems to be the only player who consistently knows how to play him in.

But whatever the reason he's way below his best at the moment. If he is carrying an injury then we've got Alvarez (although he's also been below par this season). I think the more mobile Alvarez would have been a better choice last night.

 

[gaz76]

I think the more mobile Alvarez would have been a better choice last night.

No chance, haaland on form or not keeps the opposition defence on their guard and they stick to him, opening up the spaces for foden and bernardo etc.
Alverez may well be more mobile but he has a tendency to drop into midfield and out to the wings, in essence a false nine, I doubt we would have scored three last night with Alverez instead of haaland.

 

[Sir peace frog]

We certainly know what he's capable of, at his best. But no one could possibly argue he's at his best currently.

We also know Pep's style usually doesn't need an out-and-out striker. We won two PL titles without one. Also, KDB seems to be the only player who consistently knows how to play him in.

But whatever the reason he's way below his best at the moment. If he is carrying an injury then we've got Alvarez (although he's also been below par this season). I think the more mobile Alvarez would have been a better choice last night.

imo erling takes two players to stop him,mark out of the game,would phil and gvardiol had the space for the worldies if julian had been on, imo no, teams drop deep because they are shit scared of erling in behind, leaving that few yards for phil and gvardiol(or whoever) to attack, having a threat like erling allows others a bit more time and space, we saw it when we had robinho , made stephen ireland look class, because he had that extra space and obviously his superman undies :)